I'm trying to save the wood from some wooden pallets and have been unsuccessful. I have been hammering close to where the nails are and then pry the nails out; however, before the wood comes out far enough to remove the nails it usually snaps in half. Any suggestions would be most helpful.

7 Answers
7

They make several styles of tools that are made specifically for getting nails out. One tool called a "cats paw" looks like the picture below. (You may find similar tool under other localized names). A hammer is used to pound the hooked end in under the nail head so that it can then be levered out.

Another type of nail puller is also very effective in that the tool is used by itself without a need for a separate hammer. The handle on this type of nail puller is used to slide up and pound dowwards to embed the jaws around the nail head. Pulling sideways in the direction of the "foot" forces the jaws to clamp tightly on the nail and pull it out.

Those are good tools for regular nails, but for coated wire nails commonly used in pallets, the cats' paw will tear off the head, and the jaws on the slide hammer puller will cut the shank.
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mikeOct 9 '13 at 6:30

I'd use a recip with a 12" bi-metal or carbide blade
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HerrBagMay 13 '13 at 21:11

I think it is funny that my answer is down voted when I have done this before and many people own a dremel or something that could cut a nail. But how many people (cheap enough to want to keep a crate) own a cat's paw... whatever. And I don't understand how the cat's paw or any other nail puller won't damage the wood.
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DMooreMay 14 '13 at 16:54

I +1 to counter the anonymous downvote. A downvote without a comment does not follow our site suggestions. I think a -1 should be reserved for BAD, dangerous, misleading answers, which is why its incumbent to comment.
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HerrBagMay 14 '13 at 18:32

I don't mind the down vote if my suggestion is either unsafe, doesn't work, or there is a much better solution. I just thought it was odd that a solution that I have tried and does not work got a bunch of votes. If you pry the nails out too far the wood will crack. @Herr both of your cutting suggestions are valid and maybe better than mine. Just threw out what I have done from experience. I use the pallet boards for the walls of my shed... 2-3 more pallets and I am done.
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DMooreMay 14 '13 at 18:35

I usually collect pallets from the street, because my parents won't buy me wood for me making stuff for my stuff, they only buy it when I'm making their stuff. For the first time I did it, it was so difficult and hard work, I had a whole day of sour muscle but 80%of the hard wood from the pallets had snapped. I recalled the memory that I did it, and found out maybe I should use a chisel and hammer it in between the two timber that are nailed together, and using the pole principle to pull them apart, then use a the end bit of the hammer and use the same pole principle to pull it out. After taking down dozens of pallets, I also had an experience about pull each nail out a bit each time so the timber won't bend and therefore snap. Never use a hammer to try hammer it out, you will damage the timber and snap it as well. Hammer the chisel in and pull it apart.
here's some example of the timber I took down:

I used a FEIN saw with metal cutting blade and then a punch attached to a palm air hammer and that took out nails real fast. Very fast work taking apart a pallet no damage except where the nails were pushed back through on some that were sunken in the wood.

I was very successful with simply cutting a notch in a 1x6. This notch would be for the pallet planks on the bottom side of your pallet so make sure it's big enough to span the largest width plank. Then I would take this 1x6 and set it in between the planks and next to the "2x4" that all the planks are nailed to. This would raise the pallet off the ground +- 1" . I would then take a minisledge and pound down on the pallet. This would create incremental moments of pressure that pulled the planks apart from the 2x4. I would then move my 1x6 to the middle and opposite end section. This loosened 95% of my planks without splitting (which I commonly have happen with just a hammer and crowbar) Then I would use a crowbar to pull on the nail only. It might sound complicated but it's not the only hard part was the constant sound from hammering.

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BMitch♦Jul 9 at 13:12